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Deception Pass Tours

4.7 (160 reviews)
Closed 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Updated 1 month ago

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We have been season pass holders for 13 years. No matter how many times we have gone on this tour, we always learn something new, notice things that we had not noticed before, always see at the very least nifty birds but often more wildlife. Captain and crew are always super. This time, well actually both times we had Captain Brett and Naturalist/crew Dawn. On both tours we saw a lot of activity of the sea lions at Lawson's Reef buoy. Magical experience: on the second tour the tides and currents were appropriate to turn off the engines briefly by the bridge. We could hear the soft sound of the water, birds, etc. would we recommend this tour and company? ABSOLUTELY yes!

Bridge

The tour was wonderful, the weather was wonderful. When we arrived we were met by our tour guide and other couple that was taking the tour. We preceded to the boat which was very clean which was a plus! We were heading out and the boat suddenly stopped. The tour guide had located 3 bald eagles and the nest! Wow it was amazing we were able to stay right in that spot and take all the pictures we wanted. We progressed on and were given info on surrounding islands, bridge, waterways and other animals. It was a great tour well worth the $$.

I enjoyed my experience it was a bit cold though. They explained a bit of history we saw some mammals and I got to take home a picture of me and a friend that the provided (frame included).

Great time as always.
Jesse P.

Great tour and friendly staff as always. Boat Captain was very knowledgeable and personable with all onboard.

Stellar sea lions.

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Photo of Dee C.
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8 months ago

Amazing tour. The guides were so friendly and knowledgeable. Would absolutely book it again next time I'm in town.

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8 months ago

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3 years ago

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10 months ago

Best boat tour I've taken. Great job showing the bay and also going out into the ocean.

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2 years ago

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4 years ago

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2 years ago

We had a great time with the whole family. Something for everyone, great way to start your day in the PNW

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4 years ago

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3 years ago

Nice (but short) tour. Knowledgeable staff. Was kind of late in the day to see a lot of wildlife. Will bring guests again.

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Page 1 of 4

Ask the Community - Deception Pass Tours

What clothing to wear?

Wear layers, so you're prepared for the changing weather, but it was dry and mild when we went.

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

Review Highlights - Deception Pass Tours

Every tour feels slightly different dependent on the wildlife around and the information given by the guide.

Mentioned in 21 reviews

Read more highlights

Spirit Of Orca Whale and Wildlife Tours - We started to see the Orcas and many more appeared

Spirit Of Orca Whale and Wildlife Tours

(73 reviews)

Oh.My.Gosh!!! If you are looking for a personalized and informative tour of both whales and local…read morewildlife, THIS is the one to book. We were so fortunate to be with Ken and his fiancee Laurel when we witnessed two whale pods meet up and greet each other. The interaction was so fun to watch but even more amazing, both pods started swimming towards our boat! Ken was quick to get up on the bow of the boat to get some incredible pictures for us. Couldn't have asked for a better experience. On the way in and out, both Ken and Laurel pointed out different local wildlife and educated us on different species of birds, whales, seals, etc in the area. They are both very knowledgeable and amazing hosts. You couldn't ask for more. Be sure to book your own incredible trip with them!

A wonderful wildlife tour and notably different than experiencing the Sea, wildlife and Orcas from…read morea crowded large boat. We were also impressed with the Captain's professionalism and mariner expertise overall. We always felt safe and also appreciated a willingness to extend our trip time at no cost to ensure we found the Orca pods. The water was choppy on our day out, so we experienced the awesomeness of the Salish Sea as well as her beauty! Our two grandsons, age 12 and 14, really had fun. For all of us, the highlight of the trip was definitely seeing and hanging out with the two incredible Orca pods. It was memorable without compare. I was especially pleased that I was able to take some great video of the Orcas and wonderful photos of my grandchildren.

Outer Island Expeditions - Birds eating massive school of fish

Outer Island Expeditions

(181 reviews)

I've been whale watching off the California coast before, so I'm going to compare this experience…read moreto that. This ended up more of a pleasant boat ride than whale watching as we didn't get to see any orcas (such a bummer!) and only got to see one single, elusive Humpback whale name Victory. I can't fault the tour for that, but it definitely impacts the experience. It was still a nice boat ride, with friendly staff onboard and the fortunate luck of sitting at the back of the boat next to a conservationist-led tour group with a lot of knowledge shared. On the brighter side, the weather was beautiful and we got to see two kinds of puffin and some sea lions as well. Just wish we got to see whales, instead of just one.

I acknowledge we got so lucky for our day trip! We arrived at 9:30 for an easy check in. Lots of…read moreparking. We were a huge group. They moved us along quick and easily. We started our day going through deception pass, down and around to south Whidbey Island where we were graced by the presence of T99 pod. Seasonal visitors who hunt seals. And they were actively hunting! They started in the deeps and quickly moved towards shore. Our crew had marine biologists on board who dictated the orca behavior to advice they are hunting a seal. The largest Barakat was easy to spy as he breached the water to body slam the seal. Ultimately they succeeded as a team. Epic trip. The crew was very knowledgeable. Captain had jokes, hating on our Seahawks..anyway. Overall , great boat, day trip, had a wonderful day.

Jolly Mon Charters

Jolly Mon Charters

(11 reviews)

Our group of friends set out to go on a charter to celebrate a few birthdays. After researching…read moreand calling dozens of charters, I came across Chris of the Jolly Mon. His service checked all the boxes: private boat for a smaller group, the flexibility of what the fishing plan for the day, the right price, great reviews. It was a colder morning so we were stoked when we got there and found out his boat had a full enclosure for the steam out to the fishing grounds. It made for an extremely comfortable ride both in and out in any condition. Chris was knowledgeable, fun, and knew when to step in and help us out and engage and when to sit back and let our group do our thing. Most importantly though? He put us on the fish. Although none of us had fished these waters before, he coached us on proper technique and what to do before we got there. Once we arrived at the fishing spots? The rods were constantly bent, reeling in Sculpin, Rockfish & Ling Cod. We had an absolute blast out on the water with Chris. We are already planning on future trips with Jolly Mon Charters. If you're losing your mind trying to find the right charter, just stop and call Chris. You'll be glad you did.

Chris took our family of four out for a day of salmon fishing. The whole process was great…read more Reserving was easy and Chris was responsive and efficient. The boat was in good condition and Chris was very friendly and professional. He answered all our questions and made us very comfortable. He took us to a few spots and we caught a beautiful 15lb king salmon.

San Juan Cruises - Cruise terminal

San Juan Cruises

(69 reviews)

On board the Sunday dinner cruise from Laconner to Deception Pass this past Sunday was one of the…read moremost pleasurable experiences I've had on any excursion in this area. The food was great, the crew fun and informative, the vessel was clean and ran beautifully. I highly recommend this experience.

Very friendly service and great naturalist- Emily. We took the five hour whale watching cruise…read morewhere they guarantee whale sightings or 50% off your next booking with them. We approached Emily to find out some details about the educational items she had available for viewing. The lunch was buffet style- two types of lasagna, biscuits, honey butter, Caesar salad, red grapes and cookies. It was very tasty. The scenery was gorgeous and it was a nice sunny day. Unfortunately the whales and orcas were playing any and we didn't see any during the entire cruise- we did see a harbour seal when leaving port, a quick glimpse of a harbor porpoise for a split second, harbor seals on rocks from a far distance and two sea lions on a red buoy... so we got cards to book at 50% discount for a future booking with the company. We also got 10% off coupons for the fish and chips place and gift shop inside the Bellingham cruise terminal. There were two bathrooms on board. I have to say if you're looking for an intimate experience with a handful of people this is not the cruise for you. We had a Thursday cruise that had about 60 people on board and felt like there were a lot of people... I was told the boat could have up to 120 passengers in which case it would have been absolutely jammed with people. I was glad we only had the number on board that we had. All in all it was a lovely day on board- you cannot dictate nature and they held up their promise if we didn't see whales. They also had some binoculars available if you gave them collateral- I had a set for the entire cruise.

Sail the San Juans - Morning Coffee Spot

Sail the San Juans

(18 reviews)

How do we keep adding stars! From the time we met Jette and Jon, we felt right at home and spoiled…read more Sailing the San Juans was a dream come true, but little did we know how wonderful every single day would be. Attention to every detail from warm coffee mugs to fill our fresh coffee at 7am to gourmet lunches and dinners, and of course desserts. We had a wonderful time. Jon and Jette are the most gracious hosts, who now we consider friends. Jon keeping us safe and informed of the wildlife and sealife, but also taking us on hikes on islands only accessible by boat. Jette with her great sense of humor surprising us at every turn with a new talent from gourmet cooking, writing songs, playing her guitar and sharing her doodles are a few of the many talents she revealed to us. And then there is Geni, sweet Geni, their portugese water "boat" dog. We instantly fell in love and could not get enough of her. I don't now the last time I felt so relaxed and pampered. Thank you Jette and Jon for the wonderul memories! We are looking forward to returning next year! To anyone considering Sailing the San Juans - this is your charter! You will have the time of your life!

From the moment you step onto the Northwind, take in every single second you can!! Every…read moresecond--every peaceful moment, every sweet and savory bite Captain Jette serves, every bit of island trivia Captain Jon offers--as you sail calmly past thick green forests dotted with specks of white the resident bald eagles offer in the form of head and tail. This is truly an adventure awaiting! If you have ever wanted to sail but don't know how, just leave the sailing, cooking, and swabbing of the decks to Jette and Jon. They love to help make wonderful memories for all of us, and do so graciously and kindly. So stop wondering and take the leap (sail). You will have a blast

Deception Pass Tours - whalewatchingtours - Updated May 2026

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